Hi everyone,
have you noticed the birds getting busier now? You might see them carrying tufts of wool to line their nests with.
This makes the nest warmer and cosier for the eggs and chicks.
People like to use wool to keep warm as well! Blankets, shawls, jumpers and hats can be made from wool.
People even use woollen tea-cosies to keep their pots of tea warm!
Wool has been used in Ireland for centuries, and the oldest woollen mill, that is still in use,
is located in Avoca village in our own County Wicklow.
You can read the history of this iconic mill here.
Most wool comes from sheep, and at the moment there are lots of baby sheep (lambs) around.
Do you remember this old rhyme?:
Mary had a Little Lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go!
It followed her to school one day,
that was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play
to see a lamb at school!
Lets make our own little lamb, but this one might stay on the wall at home 🙂
Materials:
Colouring pencils/markers/paint
Cotton balls
PVA glue
Piece of white card or paper with your lamb shape on it.
(You can download a simple template here: Lamb Template)
a) Take some cotton balls and gently pull them apart just a little bit
b) Put some PVA glue onto the lamb using a stick or brush
c) Put the cotton balls on the glue and pat down to make sure they stick
d) Stretch out one cotton ball to make a long tail for the lamb
e) Keep adding cotton balls until the lamb’s body is full and fluffy.
Colour in the face and legs as well
f) You can decorate the background if you like
Out and About:
See if you can spot any bird nests hidden away in the branches of trees and bushes.
Be careful not to disturb the nest or the birds!
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